My usual exercise (when I’m home) consists of getting out in the Charamon Garden and hoeing, lifting, digging, grinding, sifting compost, pulling weeds, etc. Yesterday it was preparing the tomato bed for planting in the next few weeks.
All winter the bed has been growing a cover crop consisting of hairy vetch and assorted winter grasses and a few other weeds. The vetch was the only intentional crop but the winter grass and weeds are inevitable. They grow together in happy confusion/profusion completely unaware that their days are numbered.
I cut them off at ground level (plus an inch or two to get the roots of the winter grass) and allow them to lie where they fall. As they decompose they will add needed nutrients to nourish our tomatoes and sweet basil (planted between the tomato plants). The hairy vetch is grown for the nitrogen it fixes but the other ingredients will do their part as well.
When it comes time to set out the tomato seedlings (they are so lanky this year that they have really passed the “seedling” stage), we will pull aside enough of the cover crop (which has now become mulch) to dig deep holes, sprinkle in a little mychorrizae and fill in around the tomato plant with well-finished compost. Then we will overlay the cover crop mulch with more mulch set up the cages and irrigation lines and Bob’s your uncle! Any questions?
In the meantime, eat your veggies. Nonnie and Pop said so!
